Wenger’s Arsenal legacy makes Ferguson’s United one look like a shambles

Arsene Wenger has been the man at the helm of Arsenal Football Club for 20 years now. In addition to the bizarre similarities between his name and the team, he has done some truly remarkable things during his tenure in North London. Some fans have been calling for his head in recent years, but no matter what happens his legacy will never be tarnished – unlike a certain Sir Alex Ferguson.

When the 66-year-old arrived at Highbury back in 1996, the club were searching for a fresh direction following the dismissal of Bruce Rioch. In stepped the Frenchman and the rest, as they say, is history. Over the years Arsene has been credited with so many great successes, with one of the most notable being his revolutionary stance on management in the 90s which saw the introduction of changes in diet and training within professional footballers.

The bloke has been a god in terms of domestic success, doing more for Arsenal Football Club than they possibly could’ve dreamed of. The record books don’t lie and unfortunately that statement is one of the reasons that people laud Ferguson way more than they do Wenger. The problem is simple – they don’t seem to understand the term ‘legacy’.

Even though statistically Ferguson has had way more success than his French rival (although he never went a season unbeaten, just saying) that means jack shit when it comes to his legacy. Not only has Wenger’s squad got more potential than the team Fergie left behind, but the youth system in place at the Emirates far exceeds the operation in place at Old Trafford. It just feels like Arsenal are a club who have a long-term game plan, meanwhile United and company just throw a bunch of shit at the wall and desperately hope that something sticks. That is not the way you do business, especially at such a high level.

You can put good money on Wenger working closely with whoever succeeds him as manager so that they understand the type of play the squad is used to. On the other hand, when Moyes came in he was out on his own with nowhere near the kind of trust or financial support that was awarded to van Gaal and now Mourinho.

For a man who’s incompetent, hasn’t a clue and is using outdated tactics, Wenger does a hell of a job yano pic.twitter.com/k5E5tT34Bc

So, with all this, why do people want him gone? Because the success has somewhat dried, to be blunt. The club went nine years without a trophy which ironically coincided with their move to the Emirates, and people were demanding that Wenger be removed from his position as manager.

But then he did what he always does when his back is against the wall, and he eased the pressure. Two FA Cup trophies in consecutive seasons proved that he still had what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and whether you like him or hate him you cannot deny his resilience. When it comes to legacy, just look at the squad he has formulated. The talent on display is second to none and if you want to get controversial about it, how is he any worse than Sir Alex Ferguson?

The great Fergie barely left any kind of legacy at United considering that most of it was dismantled by Moyes and van Gaal in the years following his retirement. He didn’t set the club up for success, he set them up for disaster given that the talent in the United ranks was nothing compared to what it once was – he jumped ship.

That’s something that Wenger has not, will not and never will have a problem with. The quality is rooted deep into that Arsenal set-up and there are no doubts that the next man to take the reigns will continue to build on the Frenchman’s handy work.

I'm a 22-year-old sports journalist covering football, MMA, NFL, WWE and more. I'm a Wolves fan, because for some reason I enjoy misery and heartache season after season.
Forever dreaming of a team of Steve Bulls.